Of Babies and Love
by thwipster808
Summary: Nico di Angelo Birthday Event: January 25 – "Angst / Fluff" Will is good with babies :)


**A/N: Here's some fluff based on a headcanon on Tumblr**

It was a beautiful day for a walk in the park.

The sky was blue, with a few fluffy clouds here and there. There were birds chirping, children laughing happily and running around the playground, dogs playing with their owners. It was almost perfect.

 _Almost_. Nico could do without the wailing baby.

He and Will were strolling near the playground, slowly drawing closer to the crying baby noises that could be heard from way back. Nico tried to avoid the area, but Will seemed pulled towards the sound. Must've been the healer in him. At any rate, Nico's ears were quite unhappy with the situation. The baby was _loud_. He didn't think his aura would be very helpful to the situation either.

As they passed the playground, they saw the source of the cries. An exhausted mother was holding her baby, clearly trying to sooth her but failing miserably. Will guessed she was a single parent, considering the level of distress and fatigue he felt coming off her in waves. Interning at the city hospital, he hadn't used his powers in a while, but he was desperate to help this young woman.

"Come on," Will tugged his boyfriend over to the bench where the woman and baby were. He heard Nico groan, but didn't pay him any mind. Nico understood his need to help by now.

They approached the woman cautiously, but casually. "Excuse me?" Will politely made himself known, as the mother seemed too preoccupied to notice their presence.

She quickly looked up at them, blinking several times before slowly saying, "Can I help you?"

"Well, actually," Will smiled kindly, "I was hoping I could help you?" He looked meaningfully at the baby, then back at the mother, hoping he was conveying his sincere desire to help rather than seem like some creeper who wanted to steal her baby.

"Um," she glanced at her crying child, "no, it's fine, really. She's just at that restless age. Sorry about the noise." She smiled sheepishly, clearly unsure of the situation.

Will sat on the bench a couple feet away from the woman so as not to crowd her. Nico sat on his other side at the edge of the bench, watching to see what his boyfriend would do.

After a beat of silence, Will asked, "What's her name?"

The mother looked up and smiled softly. "Sophia," she stated fondly. No matter how frazzled she was, Will could see this woman's unconditional love for her daughter.

"That's a lovely name." Will gazed at the baby, who was too fussy to open her eyes and look back. "My name is Will Solace," he addressed the mom. "Oh, and this is my boyfriend, Nico." Nico looked over and nodded, giving the baby a tiny smile.

"Sheri," the woman replied with a small nod. She seemed much less suspicious of Will now, which was good considering what Will was going to ask next.

"Sheri," Will smiled as he said her name. "I have a bunch of younger siblings and had to take care of them all. They're crazy," he rolled his eyes, "but I love them." Will's expression turned soft as he remembered his many siblings back at camp, his younger siblings now in charge since he left. He may not have taken care of them as babies, but care is care. Plus, "I'm also an intern at the city hospital. I've even helped deliver babies myself." Well, just the one time with Mellie, but she didn't need to know that.

"Wow, really?" Sheri looked wide-eyed at Will, impressed since she probably assumed he was much younger than he was. He got that a lot.

Will nodded eagerly. "Yeah! So, what I'm trying to say, is that maybe I can help you with Sophia? You can trust me to hold her. I think you should take a break for a moment." He wasn't sure if this was entirely appropriate to ask, but he didn't think it would hurt much.

Sheri hesitated, looking Will over and glancing at Nico. Nico kept to himself and made it clear that he had no intention of touching the baby. He knew he didn't look nearly as gentle as Will, but he agreed that she needed a breather. He hoped he at least didn't look like a threat.

Sheri seemed to have come to a decision, as she took a breath and looked at her baby once more, who was now very red in the face. "Yeah, I think… that'd be really nice. Thank you." She delicately passed over Sophia, who somehow cried even louder. Will scooped her up, already shushing her and cooing little comforts as he cradled her against his chest. He stood up and started bouncing on the balls of his feet, shifting the baby so she cried onto his shoulder.

Nico watched in awe. The scene looked so natural for Will. He knew just how to hold her, how to move, all of it, and he was smiling the whole time. It was… peaceful. And _right_. Nico had no idea how he did it, but he felt his heart melt just a bit at the sight.

After about five minutes, Sophia stopped crying. It could've been from tiring herself out, but it was more likely the tiny pulses of healing and warmth Will was pushing into her small body. He could feel part of his shirt soaked with tears, but he didn't mind. He was holding a precious little life and helping out her tired mom – he was pleased.

Sheri sighed in relief, closing her eyes briefly and reveling in the quiet. She slumped back onto the bench, clearly exhausted. "You are a miracle. _Thank you_." She looked towards Nico, "How is he so good?"

Nico was caught off-guard at first, but when he met the eyes of his boyfriend, he couldn't help but smile. "Pure souls speak to one another." He looked back at Sheri and shrugged, "He probably has some magical powers, too."

Sheri laughed, not realizing the weight of his words, and Will scoffed softly. As Will came to sit back down, Nico lit up with an idea. "Oh! I saw a coffee shop a little ways back. Want me to get you some tea?"

"Oh no, no need for that. You boys have done enough for me already, I can't thank you enough."

"Thank us by letting us finish helping you out," Will insisted. "I recommend chamomile tea! Very good for stress-relief." He gave Nico a wink, "I'm a doctor."

Nico rolled his eyes as Sheri laughed again, sounding lighter each time. "Chamomile sounds great."

* * *

After the tea run and a few more minutes of peace, Will handed the now sleeping Sophia back to her mother, who profusely thanked the two boys. "Thank you so much, really, I am so grateful that you came along when you did. You're, like, a god-send."

Nico and Will shared a knowing look at that. Will turned to Sheri and said, "I'm just glad we could help." He reached out and gently stroked Sophia's hair. "You're lucky to have her."

Sheri smiled down at her daughter, "Yeah. I really am."

They wished each other a good day and went their separate ways.

"Well," Will grabbed Nico's hand and swung it between them, "that was nice, huh?"

Nico scoffed, "You were her guardian angel, Will. How are you so good with babies?"

"Probably my 'magical powers,'" Will wiggled his fingers and laughed as Nico blushed.

After a moment of silence, Will bumped their hips together playfully. "Hey," he said. "You did good too. See, you didn't scare anyone away." Nico glanced away, knowing Will had more to say and waiting for him to continue.

"It's not impossible, you know," Will said softly.

"What isn't?"

Will bit his lip before looking at his boyfriend. "Having a family. Of our own." He smiled gently, squeezing Nico's hand when he felt him tense up. "Not soon. It's a discussion for much later. But, I just want you to know that you are capable of it. Raising children, being a father. You are so much more than you realize, Nico. I need you to know that."

Nico swallowed the lump in his throat. Will knew his reservations, of course he did, even without having ever talked about this before. Nico leaned up and kissed Will's cheek. No words needed – there was understanding and gratitude in that one gesture.

And love. So much love.


End file.
